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“My problem for now is about strategy itself, I think, I have some ideas about entering the trade but there are some questions…”

Feedback in:

I am an engineer (35) which just recently got opportunity to trade (3rd world country and lots of sanctions). Last year I have been working 16 hours a day … I have read tons of books from different people about different techniques but these 2 had major impact on my direction. I got familiar with your work from your podcast especially the one with Parker got me (I did not know him at all before). Then listening to market wizards and Richard Dennis made me to think on the strategy. Started to program and did a little bit of back testing and saw that 20 day break out, indicates almost most of my good trades during past year and even better. My problem for now is about strategy itself, I think, I have some ideas about entering the trade but there are some questions:

  1. There is great focus on diversification. Could we claim that being in the stock market, but trading different groups is same as trading in different markets?
  2. It seems that position sizing is about future markets, but I am not sure if it is valid for stock markets as well?
  3. Stop loss of 2 ATR is quite huge which kills the size. If a stock in 20$ has 1.5 ATR then if I want to risk 1000$ it means (with 2ATR risk) around 6K$ which is relatively small size. Should this be adjusted as you indicated in your book?

Thanks for reading this email and thanks in advance for any help.

Best regards,
T.

Thanks for your note. Two big points:

1. Un-leveraged stocks alone is a difficult path. Why do you want no leverage?

2. Stocks are often highly correlated. You need to assess correlated markets.

More.


How can you move forward immediately to Trend Following profits? My books and my Flagship Course and Systems are trusted options by clients in 70+ countries.

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Trend Following is for beginners, students and pros in all countries. This is not day trading 5-minute bars, prediction or analyzing fundamentals–it’s Trend Following.

“My biggest challenge was to discover my trading personality…”

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Thank you for your email. My biggest challenge was to discover my trading personality. Unfortunately this was done through real trading! Despite the fact of committing all possible mistakes a trader could make, the journey to discover my trading method matching my personality for following the trend was wonderful! I have my method to discover if the security is trending or about to trend. In this case I have an extra rule to confirm what the market wants. I have my entry and exit rule and an extra confirmation rule for these two ladies! And before all that my money management rule which is simple take small positions to catch “significant” moves. Now the journey continues! Thanks again for your attention.

Your exact system and time frame?

Thank you for your email. I could gladly present you my method and my Trend Following approach if you allow me half hour from your time. I trade the Futures Index of the US exchanges, basically the NQ future and this because it represents the growth world, so NASDAQ 100 is an indicator of itself for the economy. I use MotiveWave as my Charting tool linked to IB data. Before anything I analyse several aspects of Breadth and comparative markets of this security. I assess the Advance Decline Line. I assess the VIX cash & future on the VIX and its COT report, and the ratio of NQ/VXN. I assess the ZN-10 year bond and its COT report then its ratio and correlation with the future index on the weekly whether it is above or below my EMA benchmark. After all that I proceed as follows: First I assess the trend on the monthly chart, as this is my “Trend Chart”. Secondly I seek for a signal, on a closing basis, on the Weekly chart, that points in the same direction as my “Trend – Monthly Chart”. The Weekly Chart is my “Signal Chart”. Lastly I measure my risk on the Daily Chart, it is the place where I enter and exit my trades. This is my “Timing Chart”. I cannot withstand the pull backs so my set of indicators alert me optimally before or just about a pull back and much before the invalidation of a trend. When this pullback ends and the trend resumes on my weekly Timing Chart, I re-enter my trade on the Daily. If it is uptrend then I enter on Strength, if it were a downtrend then I would enter in weakness. For the stocks and Futures Equity Index and for several reasons which I have learnt the hard way, I go only long, since this is the natural for the issue. If Monthly trend chart were bearish with at least one lower low and one lower high then I would consider to enter a short trade on the name but this time with a target of 1 x ATR(10) on the daily. Then re-enter if downward conditions apply. Generally speaking the downtrend is a different beast to deal with, different mechanics different everything compared to an uptrend. I have never made consistently money by shorting a stock or a future equity index. To end with this brief description I would like to add that for the moment the monthly ”Trend Chart” shows upside so I chose only the long direction. If the weekly “Timing Chart” on the close and my set of indicators point to the upside then I would enter long 20 minutes before the Friday’s close with just 1 contract on the micro NQ on the daily “Timing Chart”. I would set a stop – loss at a “non logical place” perhaps the EMA(60) and trail it. I have my rules for pyramiding by adding – on to my position, I do not scale out. I usually exit the trade on the daily Timing TF when my set of indicators show me that trendwise and/or momentumwise it is not worthy to further continue with the move, so I trail my stop couple of ticks below the low of last daily formed candlestick. My approach If I were to put it in economic terms is more like “Labour Intensive” rather than Computer or robot intensive! It needs someone to be looking at several aspects of the security and create like this positive or negative confluences. It is possible though to mechanise it on the part of the signalling, I have already worked on it, but this development is part of a future project. I would like to thank you for your time and to thank you in advance for considering to present you my approach to trend following.

This is not trend following. Start here.


How can you move forward immediately to Trend Following profits? My books and my Flagship Course and Systems are trusted options by clients in 70+ countries.

Also jump in:

Trend Following Podcast Guests
Frequently Asked Questions
Performance
Research
Markets to Trade
Crisis Times
Trading Technology
About Us

Trend Following is for beginners, students and pros in all countries. This is not day trading 5-minute bars, prediction or analyzing fundamentals–it’s Trend Following.

Ep. 1034: Gregory Zuckerman Interview with Michael Covel on Trend Following Radio

Gregory Zuckerman
Gregory Zuckerman

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My guest today is Gregory Zuckerman, the #1 New York Times bestselling author and award-winning Wall Street Journal investigative journalist lauded for his “bravura storytelling” (Gary Shteyngart) and “first-rate” reporting (The New York Times). He is the author of The Greatest Trade Ever, The Frackers, and The Man Who Solved the Market and is a Special Writer at the Wall Street Journal. At the Journal, Zuckerman writes about financial firms, personalities and trades, as well as hedge funds and other investing and business topics.

The topic is his book A Shot to Save the World: The Inside Story of the Life-or-Death Race for a COVID-19 Vaccine.

In this episode of Trend Following Radio we discuss:

  • A Shot to Save the World
  • COVID-19 Vaccines
  • Pfizer Meme
  • Wearing a Mask
  • The different types of COVID-19 vaccines
  • COVID-19 and HIV
  • Coronavirus and Obesity
  • Benefits of the COVID-19 Vaccine

Mentions & Resources:

Listen to this episode:

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“The main problem or challenge I have at the moment is the abundance of information I keep finding…”

Feedback in:

Hello Michael. First of all I really enjoy your podcast episodes, which are fabulous, and this is how I found your site. The main problem or challenge I have at the moment is the abundance of information I keep finding. Most of what I read, or watch, or listen to seems to be offering great advice on how to improve my trading. Sadly a lot of what I see is simply snippets of information that are produced for marketing purposes and click counts on Youtube. What a shame! I am still sifting through this lot of information whilst still trying to polish a suitable plan to use for my trading. Swing trading being my intention, using the daily and weekly charts predominantly, but with lower time frames for entry accuracy. Luckily I have been careful with my losses and therefore my losses are small and are easy to cope with. This is one main point I learnt quickly to control thankfully. Thanks for taking the time to read my reply and I hope it helps.

Regards
Mark W

Two issues:

1. I am not aware of a single definition for swing trading.

2. I have never seen swing trading performance that remotely comes close to trend following. In fact, I have never seen swing trading performance.


How can you move forward immediately to Trend Following profits? My books and my Flagship Course and Systems are trusted options by clients in 70+ countries.

Also jump in:

Trend Following Podcast Guests
Frequently Asked Questions
Performance
Research
Markets to Trade
Crisis Times
Trading Technology
About Us

Trend Following is for beginners, students and pros in all countries. This is not day trading 5-minute bars, prediction or analyzing fundamentals–it’s Trend Following.

“My biggest challenge in my trading has been taking that first step…”

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Mr. Covel, I have been listening to your podcast and following your work for approximately five years. Through your podcast, books, and other work I have “woken” up. My biggest challenge in my trading has been taking that first step. One of the big lessons I have taken from your work is having your personal finances in a position where you can confidently invest. I am at that point. Now it is time to continue my education and I will be signing up for your flagship program. I am looking forward to this. Thank you for all you do, sir.

Best Regards,
Nick B

Sounds like you have a plan. Just execute. Good luck.


How can you move forward immediately to Trend Following profits? My books and my Flagship Course and Systems are trusted options by clients in 70+ countries.

Also jump in:

Trend Following Podcast Guests
Frequently Asked Questions
Performance
Research
Markets to Trade
Crisis Times
Trading Technology
About Us

Trend Following is for beginners, students and pros in all countries. This is not day trading 5-minute bars, prediction or analyzing fundamentals–it’s Trend Following.

Ep. 1033: Clarity with Michael Covel on Trend Following Radio

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Please enjoy my monologue Clarity with Michael Covel on Trend Following Radio. This episode may also include great outside guests from my archive.

Listen to this episode:

Want to learn more Trend Following? Watch my video here.

“Are those draw downs from positive positions where in essence the draw down is really just transiently reducing…”

Feedback in:

Hi Michael, I am a big fan of your podcast and listened to the recent recitation of the chapter from your book on performance data. (I have also purchased the book as well). In terms of the draw down periods – are those draw downs from positive positions where in essence the draw down is really just transiently reducing the size of an existing gain in a winning position as the market ebbs and flows? I would presume that classic trend followers would have cut their loss short on any losing position at a fraction of the draw downs quoted so cannot see how a draw down would indicate a true loss of invested principle. Thank you for any insight on this.

Drawdowns are many small losses across all markets adding up in trend less periods to form one equity drawdown. That’s not what you thought!


How can you move forward immediately to Trend Following profits? My books and my Flagship Course and Systems are trusted options by clients in 70+ countries.

Also jump in:

Trend Following Podcast Guests
Frequently Asked Questions
Performance
Research
Markets to Trade
Crisis Times
Trading Technology
About Us

Trend Following is for beginners, students and pros in all countries. This is not day trading 5-minute bars, prediction or analyzing fundamentals–it’s Trend Following.